Tips for making submarine games

Here are some tips from Kent Campbell AKA SyberSmoke of Liquid Destiny Games LLC (Project Head / CEO) that he sent in to me.

Hello,
As it seams people out there have been looking to make some sub games, or at least two so far. Those being DeepTrouble and our own project The Crimson Deep. As such I would like to make a donation of certain helpful things. The first of which is information. To any one interested in making something that is semi cool, I would suggest to them that they rent or buy U-571 for the explosion effects as a reference. Also they they should look at Blue Submarine No. 6 for action and some other effects. Some good cheep books are also to be
found. Try for "Submarines of the world" Published by Salamander Books Ltd. Lots of specific info on subs and tons of pictures. Second I would like to donate this Brush set (http://www.idevgames.com/content/download.php?id=368) for Photoshop. It's of bubbles...we all need good bubbles and I developed this set so you can just whip them out. Hope you all like.

Personally, I think anyone making a sub game should draw inspiration from arcade games like "In The Hunt" or "Metal Slug 3" (both are emulated by MacMAME). If yer after a fun sub game rather than a realistic one that is...

Well I know what you mean. And I do agree that there is a dividing line. But I also feel that something are just cool enough to put into a aquatic game and keep close to reality. Look at explosions under water. We all know what a regular explosion looks like. But the dynamics of water completely changes that effect. And it is really quite impressive to view. Just like a detonation out side of viewing range will also create a very visible light flare. So you can hit a target at a distance and see the flares.

Other things that are cool are strata formations. Things like black smokers, lava vents, Lava it self and how it moves. there are allot of natural things in these world that add to the wow factor and yet don't inhibit playability or fun. It's my personal feeling a little accuracy and research can add allot to a game with out inhibiting playability and intensity. Just my personal views...there is allot down there no one really knows about.

You know SyberSmoke, listening to that last post maade me visualize a game.

Imagine you have a little mini sub that can dive to great depths. I could see the blackness of the deep and just your lights illuminating the strange animals, plants, seafloor etc... Using the various instruments on board you could collect things and do other stuff. The visuals would be fantastic. To add some gameplay, perhaps your job would be to explore undersea cities, wrecks and stuff. Maybe run across some "monsters" of legends, etc....

For me, I've always liked the caustic wave patterns on things under the sea. I'd like to see some OpenGL demos with that.

By the way, do you know the Japanese game Seaman? I think that is what it is called. I don't know the details but it is about a half-man half-fish character.

While I havent read any of his fiction - Tom Clancy's 'Submarine' is a good source of sub info.

Also - if you want to be 'real' there shouldnt be any 3d rendering at all - the sub to sub battles take place way too deep to actually see anything.

It would be cool to make wwII sub game. For passive sonar you would have to rotate a listening device and the computer would have to model the sound real-time. You have to judge what is attacking you and where by the type of sound and volume of their props.

Quote:Originally posted by Camacho By the way, do you know the Japanese game Seaman?

fun and also annoying 'pet' game on Dreamcast. I always ended up killing my Seaman eventually b/c Id forget to feed it or clean out its cage. They start out talking like babies and grow a vocabulary. It came with a microphone controller attachment, so you could talk to Seaman.

Well Camacho, you prety much have the idea of what we are doing. Now to be honest we are flubbing a few things right at this moment. But depending on what we see and how we thinks it looks, then we will make adjustments. But your idea and vision are right in line with what is in our concept (even if I forget 1 meter = 3.3 feet...). The idea is that you have two speeds, quiet a range between nada and 40 knots. And loud as hell, 41-about 100 knots (10 knots is equil to about 12 MPH by the way). You visual range through future tech and stuff is about 100 may be 200 feet...or 33-66 meters (rough guess). But your sensor view goes out to say 300m or 1000 feet. NOW, this is where it get a little interesting. Sonar is based on sound...SO, in your sensor views, if an enemy is in the quiet speed, then pasive sonar will not show them or they will be a possible contact. If they above that in the loud as hell speed, then pasive will show them in your view.

You can however ping...active sonar. But as you would guess if you are lurking about and you ping, then well...you made your self a big target. So this is realy the general idea we are looking at. Some areas will have more light then others...like around colonies. But in general you are in the black with only your lights and sonar to help your through a battle. Now ponder this...what will multiplayer be like...12 people lurking around...no one wanting to ping. But one does and it shows every one to every one in one shot...hehehe. Could be interesting...a internet game of cat and mouse. So that is a little insight into what we are working on...hehehe.